Assistance and contact
The EPA has officers with expertise in planning and environmental assessment including management of air quality, noise, radiation, site contamination, waste, and wastewater.
We are able to help you with your environmental planning enquiries and advise on the adequacy of planning documents.
Preparation of planning policy documents
The EPA can assist with preparation of planning policy documents including statements of intent and development plan amendment. If you consult with us prior to lodging a statement of intent or development plan amendment we can discuss the environmental issues about which the EPA may be concerned. This will reduce the amount of time and resources needed to prepare and finalise the planning policy document.
For assistance or advice on statements of intent (SOI) and development plan amendments (DPA) please contact the Principal Adviser, Planning Policy and Projects on tel: (08) 8204 9289, fax: (08) 8124 4673, or email.
Assistance in lodging a development application or major development application
If you wish to undertake any development that requires approval under the Development Act 1993, your application may need to be referred by your local council or the Development Assessment Commission to the EPA for assessment. The planning department of your local council or the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure will be able to advise whether this is the case.
If you wish to discuss your application with the EPA before lodging it with the planning authority or upon referral to the EPA (all applications must be lodged with the planning authority in the first instance), or if you would like an update on the progress of an application that has been referred to the EPA, please contact the Client Services Officer (Environment Assessment) on tel: (08) 8204 9075, fax: (08) 8124 4673 or email.
A checklist has been developed to assist applicants and relevant authorities identify information that must be included with an EPA referral.
Information listed in Table 1 of the checklist should be made available when commencing informal pre-lodgement discussions with the EPA.
Pre- lodgement services for development applications
Section 37AA of the Development Act 1993 enables an applicant to enter into formal discussions with a referral body such as the EPA prior to lodgement of an application. These discussions may result in a Pre-Lodgement Agreement, which is submitted with the development application. The development application must be lodged within 3 months of a agreement being signed. The agreement removes the need for the application to be referred to the EPA when it is formally lodged with the relevant planning authority.
If you would like to discuss the option of entering into pre-lodgement agreement with us, please contact the Client Services Officer (Environment Assessment) on tel: (08) 8204 9075, fax: (08) 8124 4673 or email.
Public register
Legislation requires the EPA to have a Public Register and to make information available for the public to inspect.
The register is a wide range of information relating to EPA operations including site contamination and licences issued under the Environment Protection Act 1993.
Understanding the location of EPA licensed sites and areas of site contamination can assist you when preparing planning documents.